


prince

by sweetgoodgraciousangel



Series: Month of May Prompts 2019 [26]
Category: Original Work
Genre: /eldritch horrors, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, but like... its not in a mean way? he did ask for it askdfjsnsadfnk, valentine gets exposed to his deepest fear, valentine is a prince of love and lovelace is a prince of shadows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 01:16:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18982219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetgoodgraciousangel/pseuds/sweetgoodgraciousangel
Summary: “I know your deepest fear.”That almost made Valentine freeze up. Is it bad that he didn’t automatically doubt him?





	prince

Prince Lovelace is  _ gorgeous _ .

 

Valentine hadn’t ever really spoken to the Prince of Shadows on many occasions before, as the Majesty himself didn’t ever come out of his Kingdom to the gatherings that the many other Majesties in the area liked to come to, but Valentine was always reminded what a gentle, beautiful kind person he was every time they did have a chance to meet. He’s well poised with his words, and he moved like grace was invented because of him. It struck anyone who was around him long enough with awe.

 

Valentine wanted to know him. At least, a little more. He’s thankful that Lovelace agreed to help them with Chess, but even so, he knew nothing about him. 

 

So he decided to approach him. Everyone else had bounded off to somewhere other than here, probably to prepare themselves for the fight that was surely going to all together destroy the Kingdom of Justice whether they wanted it to or not, and it left Valentine by his lonesome. He found Lovelace in a more discreet part of his Palace, eyes following the shifting clouds that were covering the moon, marveling at it whenever he got the chance. Even in the moonlight, he was  _ beautiful _ .

 

_ “Are you going to watch me this whole time, or will you actually speak to me?” _

 

His voice crawled inside of Valentine’s mind with ease, like a haunting whisper that echoed and made him think of nothing else. If the Prince had a mouth, he certainly didn’t show it off; rather, it was like he could speak to you with his thoughts. Telepathy, but also, not  _ quite  _ telepathy. It was rather odd, and it only enticed Valentine even more. 

 

He approached him slowly, coming to stand at his side. 

 

“Out here by your lonesome?” Valentine asked, leaning against the railing.

 

_ “Not anymore.” _

 

“I suppose so!”

 

_ “Did you need something?” _

 

It wasn’t asked coldly, but Valentine could definitely tell Lovelace hadn’t been anticipating on spending his night with anyone other than himself. He briefly reconsidered leaving, but ultimately determined that if Lovelace wanted him to leave, he would tell him. He seemed to be that kind of person, anyway. Perhaps Valentine was just bad at reading the room.

 

“No, no. Well. Partially. We haven’t talked a lot in the past. I was wondering if I could get to know you?”

 

_ “Know me… things like my favorite color?” _

 

Valentine laughed. “If you’d like!”

 

_ “It’s purple.” _

 

“Fascinating! That is a rather lovely color, isn’t it?”

 

_ “...Mhm. Anything else?” _

 

What a conversationalist. Well, Valentine isn’t sure what he was expecting. If there was one thing he did know about Lovelace, it was that he was extremely quiet. Even when asking him for help with rescuing Chess before the chaos in Justice happened, he ultimately only spoke when he had to and came to a very quick conclusion that he would do it. Valentine is still somewhat surprised that Lovelace didn’t ask for anything in return, especially when it came to as big of a request as that. 

 

He was so kind.

 

“Anything you’re talented at?”

 

Lovelace eyed him for a moment. He studied Valentine with utmost fascination, just as much as he had been regarding the moon with, and for a moment he thought that he wasn’t going to respond. Well, no one could say he didn’t at least make an effort to know him. There were some people in this world that didn’t want to be known or figured out, and Valentine somewhat understood that, he supposed. 

 

Finally, Lovelace spoke again.

 

_ “I know your deepest fear.” _

 

That almost made Valentine freeze up. Is it bad that he didn’t  _ automatically  _ doubt him?

 

“I… Is that so…”

 

_ “Not just you. I know everyone’s fears.” _

 

How do you react to that? There’s something massively uncomfortable about the idea of someone knowing everything that you’re afraid of, but the only relief he did get was that Lovelace didn’t seem like the type of person to use that against people he knew. Hell, he clearly hadn’t made this ability known until just now. He could name a good handful of people off the top of his head that would use a power like that for their own gain. 

 

Somehow, in those few seconds, Valentine gained a little more respect for Lovelace. He chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully, then looked up at him again.

 

“Well… tell me about mine, then.”

 

Lovelace seemed puzzled.  _ “Are you sure? I don’t want to upset you.” _

 

“Positive. I’ll be fine!”

 

He’s quite sure he can handle hearing it. Lovelace still seemed a little hesitant to do so, but after seeing Valentine’s somewhat eager expression, his grudge broke and he sighed.

 

_ “First, I’ll need to know something.” _

 

“Yes?”

 

_ “What’s your favorite color?” _

 

Valentine blinked, then laughed. 

 

“Be serious!”

 

_ “I am. What is it?” _

 

Valentine shook his head, though he was still smiling. Who knew the Prince of Shadows had a little bit of a playful side to him?

 

“Red. Now what is my greatest fear?”

 

Lovelace fell silent, and Valentine didn’t move as his face was cupped so gently in his palms. The hold was tender and loving, so comforting and warm. He was afraid he might mess up some sort of process if he so much as blinked while he was being studied so intently. Lovelace seemed to do that a lot with things and people - study them and try to understand them, yet he wasn’t so keen on other people trying to do the same to him. Or simply, it could be that no one had ever tried before. No one ever talked about him simply because the Prince was always seemingly laying low and - well - minding his own business.

 

Some of the other Majesties could take notes from him.

 

“Hmm…” The hum buzzed his mind so pleasantly, and Valentine felt as if he could melt in his hold.

 

_ “...You’re extremely insecure, but not for the reasons some people might think. You love who you are now, but even so, you fear it’s not good enough for this world.” _

 

And his previous relaxed state was shattered.

 

_ “You’re afraid of what might happen if you’re seen as a failure. You have a legacy to live up to, and you want to burn it to the ground. You don’t understand why you must be the picture perfect copy of who your parents were, to be exactly like them, but you want it anyway. If you’re not them, you’re not worthy of this crown. You struggle so much to be your own person when everyone else wants you be someone you’re not. It tears you apart, it keeps you from sleeping at night when things get bad.” _

 

“I… I suppose…”

 

_ “And it goes beyond that. You fall in love so easily, but you’re scared the people you’ve loved didn’t love you. Your heart and feelings haven’t been given the kindest treatment in the past, and you’re not sure what to do about it anymore. Out of all the things you could be worried about, you’re terrified of dying  _ **_alone_ ** _. You don’t want to think about the future anymore, about what it may be like to die and to have no one you treasure or someone who treasures you.” _

 

“I don’t…”

 

_ “You have people that care about you, but you’re not sure if it’s genuine, or if they only care about you because you wear a crown on your head. Love is a tricky thing, isn’t it? An emotion so easily made but not so simply reciprocated. You love this world, everything, and everyone. But do they love you?” _

 

“Lovelace…”

 

_ “You’re afraid that you’ll fail this world, and perhaps most of all, you’re afraid that you’ll prove to not be worthy of that love you want so badly.” _

 

“Please  _ stop _ .”

 

Lovelace seemed to acknowledge Valentine finally after his bold voice broke through the trance he seemed to be trapped in, seeing tears dripping down his now ruined face of makeup. He broke away from Lovelace’s hold, and the Prince of Shadows winced, wanting to reach out toward him again, but obviously not sure if that was okay quite yet. Regret sprawled across what features were visible underneath the prince’s cloak. 

 

Lovelace patiently waited until Valentine gently patted away what was on his face with a handkerchief, taking a deep breath and shaking his head. He exhaled slowly, calming himself down.

 

Point proven. Lovelace knew people’s fears.

 

“Y-You’re quite good at that,” Valentine said with the best smile he could manage. He wasn’t going to disclaim him or insist he was wrong though. It would be an awfully pathetic attempt, especially after he’d just gotten done crying.

 

_ “I apologize. I wouldn’t have said anything if it would have upset you.” _

 

“Don’t be sorry. I  _ did  _ insist on you telling me, after all.”

 

Lovelace finally reached out again to gently grip his shoulder, and Valentine had gone to try and change the subject perhaps to something a bit more lighthearted but he was stopped. He met with those piercing green eyes again and Valentine shuddered. How could eyes so easily tear right through you? A power like that is dangerous.

 

_ “If it’s any reassurance, I don’t believe you’re failing anyone. You’re the greatest ruler your Kingdom has ever seen. My words may mean nothing, but at the very least you’ve heard them.” _

 

Valentine slowly closed his mouth, never breaking eye contact. There was a silent understanding that passed between them and for the first time in what felt like forever, Valentine felt... strangely understood by someone who clearly didn't have a judgmental bone in his body. In a weird way, it almost felt like that Lovelace might have actually connected with the fears that Valentine had.

 

Finally, Lovelace released his shoulder and went back to staring out beyond, looking back at peace with himself once more.

 

Valentine stood there with him, somewhere between terrified… and amazed by potentially the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

**Author's Note:**

> ooF i love lovelace and valentine........
> 
> unrelated but this story basically has them come together to be power dads for their son chess whomst they are gonna rescue from a chaotic kingdom and also hopefully figure out what happened to his older brother check


End file.
